The point here is that at some point, even with translation, we run out of IPv4 addresses to use for this purpose. What then?

You deliver the Internet over IPv6.  A really large functional Internet exists today if you only have IPv6.  It is only getting bigger.  Lots of (the majority?) of CDNs deliver content over IPv6.  Lots of companies outsource their SMTP to dual stacked service providers so that email still gets through.
After 20 years there is no excuse for ISPs failing to deliver IPv6.  If you have to you, outsource your NAT64, DS-Lite transition service to someone that has IPv4.  I’m surprised that it isn’t common today.

And now we have come full circle to the attitude that leads to Matt’s initial point:

As a community, we have failed, because we never acknowledged and addressed the need for backward compatibility between IPv6 and IPv4, and instead counted on magic handwaving about tipping points and transition dates where suddenly there would be "enough" IPv6-connected resources that new networks wouldn't *need* IPv4 address space any more.


Owen